Forgiving others

FORGIVING OTHERS
Releasing the Past
There is a general reluctance on the part of most people to forgive old injuries. Some of us wasted lots of time brooding about old wrongs done to us or trying to get even for some past injury.
The only way we can ever really get even is to forgive others completely and without the slightest hidden reservation. If we haven’t forgiven others, the old resentments are a poison in our own lives. We continue to feel the pain of the original injury, and the ensuing resentment destroys our peace of mind and endangers our relationships.
In forgiving others, we do not grant a favour to them, but to ourselves. By extending forgiveness, we release thoughts and feelings that have been like a cancer in our lives. We are not giving up a possession or a right but instead, we are freeing ourselves from a burden that nobody needs to carry. We are letting go of garbage that we do not need in our lives. When we forgive others, we also realize that we are forgiven. As it is stated in closing meetings, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” I will not review past hurts and injuries this day. I will go through the day knowing that God forgives me to the extent that I forgive others.
From “Walk in Dry Places”